BBC's iPlayer redesign comes to a much wider range of TVs and set-top boxes

Since the BBC announced a substantial iPlayer redesign earlier this year, it's been rolled out to different platforms in stages, starting with the web and most recently, iOS, Android and Windows Phone. A limited line-up of connected TVs and set-top boxes, as well as the PS3 and PS4, were granted access to the new-look iPlayer at launch (though in preview mode initially). Today, the BBC's announced a vastly expanded roster of smart TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes that'll receive the iPlayer update within a week. Its diffusion to other TV-connected gear will continue, too, with an Xbox One app and updates for YouView, Virgin Media TiVo and BT Vision set-top boxes expected to be released by the end of the year. In order to conserve resources, the BBC's also said it'll be retiring the aged "Bigscreen" version of iPlayer next month. Apparently, only 0.1 percent of viewers still use it, and various devices will be able to access the new version of iPlayer anyway.